Predicting Survival Among Those Aging With HIV Infection

From CDC National Prevention Information Network

February 5, 2013

Even with the use of antiretroviral therapy (ART), which can lead to viral suppression and reductions in AIDS-related deaths, researchers maintain that people with HIV infection have a higher mortality rate because chronic HIV infection intensifies age-related organ system injury.

The Veterans Aging Cohort Study (VACS) Index funded by the National Institutes of Health used older indices that measured HIV biomarkers, including CD4 cell count, HIV-1 RNA levels, and patient age, to ascertain mortality risk. The newer VACS Index uses other critical factors, including the increasing role of multi-organ system injury and hepatitis C infection as well as the decreasing role of other factors such as CD4 count.

In a collaborative study by Yale University, the VA Healthcare System, and the North American Cohort Collaboration, the researchers compared the accuracy of the VACS Index with that of the newer VACS. Data reviewed were from more than 5,000 veterans and more than 10,000 non-veterans, representing 14 separate cohorts of HIV-infected persons from around the country who had at least one year of ART. The researchers followed up with patients for a little more than three years.

Researchers found the new VACS Index was much more accurate and effective than the previous index, which used CD 4 count, HIV-1 RNA, and age. Dr. Amy Justice, professor of internal medicine at Yale School of Medicine, stated that the VACS Index accurately estimated risk of mortality among persons aging with HIV infection whether they live in Canada or the United States. She also found that the index was accurate among men and women, older or younger individuals, and white people or people of color. The team has created an app for use by patients and their providers. It is available at http://vacs.med.yale.edu/.

(Please note: Your name and comment will be public, and may even show up in Internet search results. Be careful when providing personal information! Beforeadding your comment, please read TheBody.com's Comment Policy.)

Please do not modify the following input field.

Your Name:

Your Location:

(ex: San Francisco, CA)

Your Comment:

Characters remaining:

Advertisement

The content on this page is free of advertiser influence and was produced by our editorial team. See our advertising policy.

The Body is a service of Remedy Health Media, LLC, 750 3rd Avenue, 6th Floor, New York, NY 10017. The Body and its logos are trademarks of Remedy Health Media, LLC, and its subsidiaries, which owns the copyright of The Body's homepage, topic pages, page designs and HTML code. General Disclaimer: The Body is designed for educational purposes only and is not engaged in rendering medical advice or professional services. The information provided through The Body should not be used for diagnosing or treating a health problem or a disease. It is not a substitute for professional care. If you have or suspect you may have a health problem, consult your health care provider.